


Reality Road Trip

by SteveM



Series: Soul And Centre. [3]
Category: Batwoman (TV 2019), Captain Marvel (2019), Lucifer (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:20:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23981458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveM/pseuds/SteveM
Summary: After accidentally hopping universes Captain Marvel, Supergirl and Batwoman look for a safe place to keep the Key that brought her to Earth Prime before embarking on an adventure across multiple realities.
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Kate Kane, Kara Danvers/Kate Kane
Series: Soul And Centre. [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708666
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

Alex Danvers barely had time to hang up the call before a trio of heroes touched down on the DEO balcony. Well, two of them touched down she thought, Batwoman slightly sheepishly jumped out of Kara’s arms where she’d been carried to the aerial landing pad. Right now though Alex found her attention drawn to the third member of the little group. Short blonde hair, a serious but quietly stunning face and a figure that was definitely not hurt at all by the typical tightly fitting super suit… and an air of authority around her that spoke of hard won experience. 

“We’ve got a containment cell ready two levels down.” Alex said, stepping forward to meet their guests. “Welcome to the DEO….” She let the invitation hang in the air and got a polite nod from the stranger.

“Captain Marvel, or Carol Danvers if you prefer something a little less pretentious.” The voice wasn’t quite what Alex had expected with a playful air that left her curious at exactly who she might be beneath the surface but any such getting to know you chit chat had to wait. As did her surprise at sharing a surname with the woman. 

“Alright, in that case follow me Captain.” She said with a slight smirk and caught Kara hiding a grin. She turned to lead the way into the depths of the DEO and everything went straight to hell.

The room buckled and flowed around them, the walls gaining extra dimensions as space folded up. Carol found herself slammed into what had been the ceiling, concrete running like water around her body then solidifying once more to hold her trapped, arm outstretched with the key glowing, no she realised with horror, throbbing as if something was calling to it. Before she could blink there was suddenly a tall woman floating in front of her wearing metal body armour and what looked, for all the world, like a crown. Her skin was alabaster white and her mouth curled in a triumphant smile.

“Ah, there it is.” She said casually and her voice echoed with odd harmonics as she raised a hand towards the key.

Carol strained, putting everything she had into the effort. The concrete started to crack and shatter only for a pale green light to flow through the gaps, holding it together and fighting to contain her. She looked past the apparition to see the rest of her new found allies struggling with their own problems. Alex and the DEO agents were suddenly fighting against what looked like a goblin horde, Batwoman sliding and leaping around a huge troll while Supergirl was engaged in a fight with what Carol would swear was a dragon. All of which made no sense as they were still, in theory, within the DEO situation room and there clearly wasn’t space for the mayhem she saw but whatever magic was at work here didn’t seem to care much for the physical laws of the universe.

The green energy crackled and brightened as Carol let her photon powers flow through her, the glow reaching her eyes as she gritted her teeth and pushed. The bonds holding her flexed and groaned to the surprise of the white lady before her.

“Impressive.” She genuinely sounded like she meant it and shook her head. “Shame I don’t have more time to get to know you but I need this.”

“You won’t get it.” Carol ground out, locking her fingers tightly around the Key.

“Oh I don’t need that silly thing, just the power it holds.” Her fingers stretched out and the rolling red plasma flowed from the Key into her flesh, crackling and dancing as it went. Carol saw the cold eyes glow briefly as the woman drew a deep breath. 

“Oh yes…. Thank you for bringing me this.” The words were practically purred in satisfaction. “I promise I’ll save your reality for last.” With a cry of joy she raised her arms and seemed to melt into the air as Carol finally managed to break free, concrete spraying everywhere as she hurtled forward… only to crash headlong into the floor as the room snapped back to normal. She picked herself up and looked around to see everyone else just as confused as she seemed to be.

“What the hell was that!” Carol demanded and to her slight surprise it was Alex that answered. 

“Calls herself the Queen of Fables and claims to be a story come to life but that might just be the psychotic break talking. As you may have noticed she can warp reality, craft it into what she wants.”

“And she just took whatever energy was in that Key.” Batwoman pointed out. “This is unlikely to be a good thing.”

“Any idea where she went?” Supergirl asked, dusting a fine layer of ash from her arms. 

“Not a clue. All she said was she’d ‘leave my reality for last’, whatever that means.” Carol ground out, the need to hit something almost overwhelming. 

“That… could be very bad indeed.” Brainy interjected, a worried look on his face.

“Why am I not surprised?” Alex muttered under her breath and Batwoman threw a ‘tell me about it’ sideways glance in her direction. 

Brainy stepped up and added: “The Queen of Fables relies on the power of narrative to shape reality. Any reality. If the energy she stole allowed Captain Marvel to travel here from another dimension it could, in theory, allow her to travel to, well, anywhere. Do anything.”

“Great. So how do we find her?” Supergirl asked.

“May I see that?” Brainy asked Carol and, to Kara’s surprise, waited for her to hand it over rather than simply snatching it away. Maybe even Brainy’s famed lack of social skills was developed enough to realise when patience meant keeping all his fingers Kara thought. 

“Ah… yes I see… this is a light speed bridge, yes?”

“Uh… possibly?” Carol said and bristled at Brainy’s slightly disappointed look. “I was more concerned with keeping it out of Kree hands than doing any analysis on it.”

“Yes well it appears to be designed to link two places and, effectively, open a wormhole of sorts between them. Whatever that energy was it seems to have expanded its operating matrix somewhat.” At the wave of confused looks Brainy sighed and backed up. 

“Think of it as adding another dimension beyond three dimensional space.” He said with what patience he could muster. “From what I can see… yes, yes that may help. It seems to have a link to that energy and should be able to follow it.”

“Great, let’s go!” Kara said but stopped in her tracks as Brainy held up a hand.

“Unfortunately it is not quite that simple. The device needs to be charged first and that would require not only an enormously powerful energy source but one with a connection to the very fabric of reality itself!”

“Really? Can I see that for a moment?” Carol asked with a sweet smile that had Alex, Kara and Kate all looking for something solid to hide behind. As there wasn’t anything close enough not to be too obvious both of the humans took a step sideways to put Kara between them and Captain Marvel. The rest of the DEO agents in the room similarly made subtle moves into solid cover. They’d worked for Alex too long not to recognise that sort of a look and know just what it was likely to mean.

Of course but I assure you you’ll not find another option.” Brainy passed it back to Carol who weighed it in her hand for a moment then glanced around the room, making sure she had some space.

“Wasn’t looking for one.” She said and burst into a blinding supernova. Cosmic fire raced across her body, hair and eyes glowing as she concentrated, forced near infinite energy through her fingers and into the key, felt it call to her and built the charge.

“How is this possible…. What are you?” Brainy asked, shielding his eyes. Everyone else was doing the same save for Supergirl who stood in disbelief as she saw not only the blinding light but Carol’s outline within it. Not a simple silhouette but a glowing backdrop into space itself, the bright sparks of a thousand suns burning within her and in the middle the star she wore on her chest glowed brightest of all.

“I… I am unique.” Carol’s voice echoed back from the maelstrom cool and clear. “Gravity cannot ground me. Physics cannot bind me. There is no attack I cannot deflect, no energy I cannot hold.”

The light somehow reached a new peak and from its core the words continued. “I am my own force of nature. Power itself. And I… I am….” 

With a suddenness that hurt the eyes darkness returned leaving only Carol standing in the middle of the room, the Key glowing in her hand. She was looking straight at Brainy and took the time to finish her sentence. “I am Carol Danvers.” She glanced down at the key then passed it back to the shocked Coluan. “That good enough to get us there?”

“I, ah, one moment!” Brainy turned it over and over, still clearly in shock. “Yes, yes I believe it should.”

“Great, everyone ready to go?”

“Uh, actually, wait just a minute.” Batwoman said before she, too, turned to Brainy. “Please tell me you finished it.”

“It? Oh, oh yes, of course I did. It’s keyed to your gauntlet.” 

“Great!” Batwoman turned and walked towards the balcony, beckoning Supergirl to walk with her. She lent in and whispered as they moved. “Sorry about this, had meant to surprise you for our anniversary.”

“Uh…. “ Kara genuinely didn’t know how to respond to that and Kate took pity on her, patting her back in what might, at a distance, look like a friendly reassuring gesture. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get you something pretty to make up for it.” She teased and caught the confused but trusting smile. “Wait here, just in case Brainy screwed up the math…”

“O…kay.” Kara muttered, pausing at the threshold as Batwoman walked out to the balcony, turned and tapped a control tucked away on her right arm. There was a pause and then, distant but coming nearer very very quickly, a gentle roaring sound. 

“What the hell…” Alex muttered then gasped, along with everyone else in the room, as a black cylinder rocketed up behind Kate, paused and fell forward towards her. It looked like it was about to flatten her but as it touched her back it split apart, metal flowing around her in an embrace, coming together and sealing tight like it was a second skin. 

Within seconds it had almost completely covered the batsuit, the sharp lines and jet black metal only broken by the bright red bat logo on its chest. The last part to snap into place was the cowl which, unlike the regular suit, completely covered Kate’s face leaving only white eye pieces glaring out at the world. 

“It suits you”. Kara said with a smile then frowned as she ran her eyes over the metal. “Is it just me or has that had some upgrades since Apokolips? Beyond the self-deploying stuff I mean?”

“I had a… chat with Brainy. Convinced him that as it was future tech and not going to be used except in dire emergencies he may as well go to town. Really take it beyond what we can do in 2021.” Kate said smugly. She flexed her shoulders, impressed at how Bruce’s futuristic armour had not only snapped into place but managed her normal suit as well. It had even gently folded her cape and tucked it between the metal plates to keep it out of the way. The wig had been a bit more problematic and while she wouldn’t swear to it she’d thought she’d seen it ‘folding’ away like Kara’s suit did. More importantly she found herself able to move just as well as if the suit wasn’t there in the first place, perfect considering they were heading in to god knows what trouble.

“Think everything’s in order…. Let’s go find the Queen.” Kate said with a grin that only Kara could see. 

“So… how does this work, exactly?” Carol asked Brainy, casting a critical eye over the newly-armoured Batwoman. “Nice suit! Tony would have been…” She trailed off, wincing at a private pain.

“You okay?” Kara asked quietly and got a nod in return.

“Yeah, sorry, just… we lost someone recently, still hard to believe he’s gone.”

To Carol’s surprise Kara reached out and drew her into a hug. While not exactly her standard preparation for a mission she had to admit there were far worse ways to get ready for a life and death trip across dimensions. 

Brainy coughed and Kara gave their visitor one final squeeze and let go. “Basically, one of you holds the Key, the others hold them and you think about following the Queen. It has a low level telepathic field, very useful if you don’t want the user to need a working knowledge of multi-dimensional quantum theory.”

“Oh. Good.” Carol said flatly. She felt Supergirl place a hand on her left shoulder, Batwoman mirroring her on the right. “Everyone ready?”

“Yeah.” Kara replied with a note of caution.

“Let’s do it.” Kate said, determination echoing in her voice.

“Great, hang on then, let’s go fin…”

There was a small pop and the three heroes vanished. For the assembled ranks of the DEO it was somewhat anti-climactic and Alex looked at Brainy in concern.

“Did it work?”

“Yes. At least they have gone. Hopefully they’ve gone to the right place.”

“You’re not sure!?!”

“I…. Know they’ve gone and as they are not here we have to assume they are there. Wherever there is.”

“That’s not reassuring!”

“I know.” Brainy looked down as if ashamed he didn’t have a better answer. “But wherever they are we can only hope they’re in the right place.”


	2. Chapter 2

While the subject never seemed to come up in normal conversation, Kara considered herself something of an expert on inter dimensional travel. At this point she’d jumped across universes via breach, monitor-portal, wormhole and teleport arch (albeit the last was just across the gulf of her own universe but who was really going to argue). While they’d all been different none had been a blink and you’ll miss it experience. Travelling by Key proved somewhat different. One moment they were standing in the DEO, the next…

“Uh, does this look like a seedy nightclub to anyone else?” Carol asked, looking around in confusion. 

“No.” Kate said, the armoured helmet folding away to leave her in her regular cowl, blue eyes blinking as she tried to adjust to their seemingly instantaneous change of venues.

“No?” Really? Not even with the disco cages?” Carol replied, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“No.” Kate said firmly. “Speaking as the owner of several nightclubs this certainly is one but seedy is definitely not a word that should be used. Exclusive, expensive and high end would be much closer to the mark.”

“Well thank you.” The voice came from a staircase off to their right and the three women turned as one to see a tall, handsome man with a short, stubbly beard and clothed in an immaculately tailored suit walking down to their level. “Nice to meet someone with taste.”

Something was pinging in Kara’s mind and she felt her thoughts race as she tried to nail down what was bothering her. In the meantime Kate was more than happy to carry the conversation as she folded her arms and appraised the newcomer. 

“Oh I didn’t say it was tasteful, just expensive.” The smirk came across well despite the cowl, and the man gave her a tight, controlled smile.

“Very quick. Now I’d like to know who you are and why three beautiful women decided to break into my club wearing such… concealing costumes.”

“Seriously? That’s your concern here?” Carol asked, ignoring the back handed flattery. 

“Well yes. Women break in here all the time, men too come to that, but never to stage a comic con.” He looked genuinely surprised at the concept and shook his head before extending his hand. “Alright, if you don’t want to go first let’s make it a safe space for you. Lucifer Morningstar, pleasure to meet you.”

All at once it clicked for Kara. The name was an obvious clue but a throwaway line from Mia as they’d sat amongst the rooftops of Star City came rushing back. British accent, suit, cute in a monumentally smug and annoying way… it all fit. She stepped forward, putting herself between him and the others. “The Lucifer Morningstar?” She asked carefully.

“The one and only!” Lucifer replied proudly then hesitated. “Have we met before?”

“No, but you met my friends.” Kara said. “Mia told me about you.”

“Mia… Mia…” Lucifer snapped his fingers. “Cute little blonde, looked ready to stab the world, hanging around with John Constantine?”

“Wait, are we still on our Earth?” Kate asked, confused.

“Almost certainly not.” Kara replied carefully. “At least it wasn’t back then and I suspect we’d know if the devil was walking abroad on our world.”

“Very good.” The compliment was just about on the right side of patronising to stop Kara decking him on general principles. “And no, this is still a different universe. One of the benefits of being the devil, you can protect your own when you want to.” 

“So why the hell did the Key bring us here?” Carol asked. “I don’t see the Queen of Fables as the go go dancing sort?”

“She’s not, she came here for me.” Lucifer clarified as he headed behind the bar and poured himself a tumbler of something that looked expensive as it splashed against the crystal.

“For… you?” Kate asked but Lucifer raised a finger.

“Oh no, no more free samples. A question for a question, that seems fair, yes?”

“We don’t have time for this.” Carol muttered but Kate placed a calming hand on her shoulder. 

“Go ahead, ask.” Kate said calmly, trying to ignore the fact she was likely staring down the actual, factual devil.

“Tell me…. What is it you truly desire?” Lucifer asked and all three of them felt the pull of his question, something beyond the norm compelling them to answer. But he’d asked it to Kate and the compulsion was strongest on her. She leaned forward, coming so close the nose piece on the cowl was practically touching Lucifer’s face.

“Her.” She said simply, turning to gaze at Kara. “Her and only her, forever and always.”

“Oh. Love. How boringly human.” Lucifer grumbled as he tried to ignore the soppy smile Supergirl couldn’t quite hide. “I mean… well done, very laudable. Though I can see why you’d say so…” He cast a long look up and down Kara’s skintight costume. “You could be an angel yourself my dear.”

Kara rolled her eyes, suddenly bored of the game. Without a word she lifted herself ten foot in the air, crossed her arms and glared down at the suddenly surprised face below her. 

“Oh she already is.” Kate said casually, plucking the tumbler from Lucifer’s hand and downing the rest of the smooth bourbon before he could react. “Guardian angel for the universe, you could say.”

Lucifer wasn’t taking his eyes from Kara and missed Kate giving a little flick of the fingers towards Carol. With an evil grin Earth’s Mightiest Hero let her power flow and rose to match Kara’s position and posture, the two blondes flanking Batwoman who shrugged matter-of-factly. “In fact I seem to be collecting them at the moment.” Granted it wasn’t entirely true, Carol certainly wasn’t hers in any way, but there wasn’t a chance in, well, hell Kate was going to pass up a line like that.

“Now you were telling us about the Queen?” Kate asked as she set the glass back on the bar with a quiet thud. 

“Hmm? Oh yes. She came here thinking she could take my power and use it to reshape reality. As soon as she realised what a bad idea that was she went looking for a new target.”

“Can you show us where?” Kate said carefully, holding one armoured hand up as she saw the smile return to Lucifer’s face. “Let me be clear on this, I am not in any way asking you for a favour here. If you can’t we’ll find her on our own.”

“You won’t, not without my help.” Lucifer replied calmly. 

“And you want something in return for that I assume?”

“It is customary, yes. Do they not have deals on your Earth?”

Kate smiled but there was nothing friendly about it. “Luci… I can call you Luci, right?”

“Well, actually…”

“Great. Luci, you don’t have to help us but let me ask you something. When she finds whatever power she’s after to reshape reality, who do you think is going to be first on her hit list? She knows you’re a threat now and I’m willing to bet that you don’t have an easy way of stopping her at this point or you’d have done so already. We might just be your best chance to survive this.”

“I’m immortal! I thought you’d have figured that out by now.” Lucifer replied with the first flash of anger they’d seen.

Kate threw an arm over his shoulder, stretching a bit to do so, and patted his arm, “You know, you’re probably right Luci. I mean, sure, the Queen can rewrite your reality quicker than thought but you’d be able to stop that, right? I mean you’re the devil!” Kate raised her left hand, her middle and ring fingers tucked in to her thumb as she threw up the horns. “Nothing to worry about at all. Sorry for wasting your time.”

She went to step away only to find an inhumanly strong hand gripping her arm. Batwoman didn’t even flinch, after all she was used to being handled by Kara and that didn’t usually involve advanced armour protecting her. “Or if there’s something we can do for you….” She said with a one-sided shrug.

“Alright… alright you may have a point.” Lucifer admitted after taking a moment to swallow his anger at this infuriating mortal. “I’ll give you directions if you promise to stop whatever silly scheme she’s planning. Deal?”

“Actually no.” Kate said, reaching up and peeling his hand from her shoulder before giving him a sweet smile that even the Devil had to fight the urge to step away from. “You can’t deal with what we’re going to do anyway, especially when what you’re offering is in your own best interests.”

“Oh really? And what, exactly, would you want Kate Kane? What would any of you want from the devil?” He looked up at the angelic stand-ins still floating either side of Batwoman and his anger faded a little. “Because I can certainly think of a few suggestions if you’re interested.”

Kara sighed and rolled her eyes but Carol held up one glowing hand. “Is that what you want?”

“Well I wouldn’t turn it down.” Lucifer chuckled as Carol lowered herself to the floor, photon energy still boiling around her. She slinked forward, a small private smile on her lips that was somehow filthier than anything she could have said. 

“Really, that’s all I am, a ‘wouldn’t turn it down’ kinda girl?” Carol asked with a pout that was probably illegal in at least 23 states. 

“Not at all.” Lucifer replied, sliding back into his usual confident persona. “In fact you’re stunningly beautiful, at least for a mortal.”

“Well that’s better.” Carol purred as she wrapped herself around the devil, one hand trailing down his shirt. “But I was hoping for more…”

Lucifer actually seemed at a loss for words as Carol sent tiny photon bursts through her fingers to pop the buttons of the shirt one by one, her lips brushing his ear. “Tell me Lucifer, right here, right now… what do *you* desire?”

“You of course.” He tried to play it off as a cool line but she was stoking something in him unlike any sexual thrill he’d felt before and it caught him by surprise. He sucked a breath as her fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his trousers… then his whole body stiffened.

“Well that’s a shame because I don’t work that way.” Carol said, her seduction gone in an instant to be replaced with cool calculation. “Now here’s my deal. You send us where we need to go and I’ll leave your nuts at lightly boiled rather than deep fried. How’s that sound?”

“I… you can’t…” The words were a grunt past clear pain and Carol laughed.

“Yes yes, you’re immortal, I remember. But the way I figure it that just means that you’ll have longer to contemplate life without your two best friends. Do. We. Have. A…. Deal?” On the last word Kate caught a momentary flash of light from the gap between Carol’s hand and Lucifer’s stomach and she winced in sympathy. 

“Yes, yes alright!” Lucifer said with something that sounded suspiciously like a whimper.

“Good Devil.” Carol said, pulling her hand free, walking behind the bar and carefully rinsing her fingers. 

Kate glanced at Lucifer and to her surprise saw he was grinning. “Something funny?” She asked, knowing she was likely pushing her luck and not really caring.

“Oh I just can’t remember when I had this much fun.” Lucifer said before wincing as a fresh wave of pain reminded him of exactly how bad things could have been. “Though you didn’t have to make your point quite so forcefully.” 

Carol finished drying her hands and shrugged before pulling out the Key. “If I hadn’t we might still be talking about Three Heroes One Devil and none of us have time for that. How are we going to do this?”

“Well first you all take one of these.” Lucifer reached into his jacket and pulled out three jet black business cards with his name in raised silver letters.

“And what do we need these for, exactly?” Kara asked, settling back to the ground beside Kate.

“If you ever decide to take me up on the offer just show these to John, he’ll know how to use them.”

“Never gonna happen.” Kate said and Kara nodded agreement. “So what’s step two?”

“Simple, you hold on to the Key.” He pointed at Carol and she extended it out in front of her in a firm grip.

“You two hold on to her, preferably naked and oiled but I suspect that will have to wait.”

“You suspect correctly.” Kara said coldly, the seductive devil act really starting to grate. Kate leaned in and whispered to Carol “Pity though…” The look she got in return was enough to send all sorts of thoughts through her head that would have to wait until the world wasn’t about to end. They linked their arms with Carol, bracing themselves.

“And then I do…. this.” Lucifer reached out and touched the key with a single finger. His eyes blazed red and just for a moment they saw his wings unfold and reach for the sky. Then they hurtled away from him, the world falling away as the Key blazed a deep, violent red.


	3. Chapter 3

Carol, Kara and Kate felt like they should be rocketing through space at unfathomable speeds. Around them the lights of countless stars shot by as worlds without number sleeted past, each within view for no more than a second or two before it vanished behind them. But it was more like they were standing still and the cosmos was moving around them. As worlds, no, realities zipped past they caught microscopic glimpses into them. In one they saw two ancient factions of robot warriors battling their way across the stars from a metal world to Earth and back again. In another a world turned protected by a woman with glowing white eyes making the elements themselves dance to her call.

Kate recoiled as a vision she was all too familiar with unfolded, a burning nightmare as they glimpsed hell itself. Only the throne above the kingdom of the damned stood empty, its ruler elsewhere and the demons were restless. More and more sleeted past, the images coming ever faster. Giant worms cresting sand dunes as armies fled before them. An ancient force of reckoning commanding time and space from inside a battered blue box. An alien with orange skin and white markings facing a towering black-clad monster, white energy blades blocking red as it swung for her throat. So many realities, so many possibilities…

Suddenly the endless star field lurched sideways, slowing down from a shimmering typhoon of stars to a drizzle then a single globe hanging in space before them.

“Do I want to know what we’re breathing right now?” Kate asked quietly, afraid to break the spell.

“Probably best not to ask.” Carol advised. “We are, that’s all that matters, Let’s just put it down to the Key.”

“Better question, what is this?” Kara said gliding forward to peer closely at what could best be described as a giant soap bubble. She reached out and touched it only for her hand to be thrown back with a crack of energy. The boundary shimmered and shifted and within there was a sense of enormous distance being viewed from a very close angle. It was almost like a funhouse mirror if you could make one capable of reflecting eternity in an inch of glass. And then, slowly, impossibly, something swum in front of their eyes. A world… but unlike any they’d ever seen. No sphere this but a disc, its oceans cascading from the edge in a boiling endless waterfall. It was carried through the void by four elephants and they, in turn, stood on the shell of.. of…

“Can anyone think of a description other than ‘turtle’?” Kara asked weakly.

“Space turtle?” Kate suggested.

“Good as any.” Carol replied with a shrug that was far too casual to be casual. 

“Well if this is where the Queen has gone then we need to get in there!” Kara said, pulling back her fist to strike the barrier blocking them from entry.

“I’D RATHER YOU DIDN’T.”

The voice was deep and echoing, the hollow sound of time falling into an endless abyss. Yet, somehow, it wasn’t unpleasant, exactly, just very… definite. Final, one could say. They turned and saw a figure standing behind them. A black robe covered it from its feet to the top of its head, the deep hood dropping down over the face and from deep within came two bright blue points of light. The only part of the speaker visible was what looked suspiciously like an arm made of bone, skeletal fingers gripping what could only be described as a scythe. Behind it and seeming rather out of place given the circumstances was a magnificent white horse watching them with rather more intelligence then seemed normal.

“Umm… hi.” Kara said, trying to ignore the evidence of her eyes. “Sorry, we’re, umm…”

“LOST.” It wasn’t a question, Kate noted.

“Uh, yes. More or less, anyway. We’re looking for someone.”

“YES. THE QUEEN OF FABLES.”

“Is she here, have you seen her?”

“BRIEFLY. SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD USE THIS WORLD AND ITS LINK TO NARRATIVE CAUSALITY TO BUILD HER ARMY.”

“And she couldn’t I take it?” Carol asked, trying to ignore the human instinct to pretend they couldn’t possibly be talking to… to… to this person.

“NO. THIS REALITY IS NOT MEARLY LINKED TO NARRATIVE CAUSALITY, IT IS SOMETHING BAKED INTO THE SOUL AND CENTRE OF THE WORLD. EVEN SHE COULD NOT CHALLENGE THAT POWER.”

“And what is this place?” Kate said, turning to stare at the strange sight in the bubble behind them.

“THE DISCWORLD.”

“I can see that, yes. Alright… what is it?”

“IT IS A WORLD.” He saw the inevitable question coming and held up his other hand palm out. “AND A MIRROR OF WORLDS. HERE THE POWER OF FABLES IS INCONSEQUENTIAL NEXT TO THE POWER OF STORIES.”

“Aren’t they the same thing?” Carol asked.

“NO. STORIES ARE REAL. BREAKING ONE HERE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, WOULD BE… DANGEROUS. BREAKING THE STORY OF THE WORLD WOULD BE SUICIDAL AND I SAY THAT AS SOMETHING OF AN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT. HERE THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE TRUTH, ONE STORY THAT ECHOES THROUGH ETERNITY.”

“And… that is…?” Kara asked, curious.

The head turned in the hood and she got the impression that it was considering her carefully. She thought she heard a quiet ‘HMM’ from its depths that almost sounded… approving.

“THE TURTLE MOVES.”

They all joined Kate in watching the ancient turtle swim through the stars, its shell pockmarked with asteroids, its eyes fixed on some unknown destination. 

“It’s beautiful…” Kara whispered and once again she had the strangest feeling that the hooded figure approved.

“If she didn’t stay here do you know where she went?” Carol asked, reluctantly.

“YES. AND I SUGGEST YOU FOLLOW HER WITH ALL… POSSIBLE SPEED. IF SHE FINDS WHAT SHE NEEDS THEN NOTHING, NO-ONE WILL BE SAFE.”

“Any clue on how we can do that?”

With a sigh the figure pulled back its hood and revealed the grinning skull inside, the blue points in its eye sockets boring in to all three of them in turn. It seemed to come to a decision and beckoned them forward.

“I WILL GUIDE YOU AS FAR AS I CAN.” He swung up on to the horse and gestured behind him. “CLIMB ON.”

“Oh that’s okay, we can fly ourselves.” Kara said, almost automatically. 

“NOT HERE, NOT AS YOU ARE.”

“We won’t all fit.” Carol objected.

“YOU WILL. BINKY CAN CARRY LEGIONS, IF NEEDED.”

“Binky?” Kate said in disbelief. “Death’s horse is called…. Binky?” She saw the skull turn to her with a definite air of annoyance and she raised a hand. “It’s a good name, nicely unexpected.” She swung up and found there was, indeed, room for all of them astride the horse even if she couldn’t explain how. Without being instructed Binky raised his head and trotted casually across the cosmos, moving between realities as effortlessly as he would cross a meadow.

“So, uh, can you tell us what we’re getting in to here?” Kara asked carefully, not entirely sure how to start a conversation with the grim reaper.

“YES.”

There was a long silence. 

“Umm…. Will you tell us what we’re getting in to?” Kara said, both Carol and Kate having made an unspoken decision that Kara’s diplomacy was the way forward.

“NO.”

“Oh.” 

Another silence fell on the group.

“Umm… why not, if it’s not a rude question?”

“IF I TELL YOU IT RISKS ALTERING THE RYTHYM OF EVENTS. WHERE YOU ARE GOING RYTHYM IS EVERYTHING.”

“Ah.” Kara thought quickly, trying to spot a loop hole. “So… is there anything you *can* tell us?”

Death turned and regarded her with something very much like curiosity. “THE QUEEN NEEDS A MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO REALITY. SOMETHING THAT IS MORE SUITED TO… IMPROVISATION.”

“So… a universe that runs on stand up comedy?” Kate asked, her natural sarcasm only slightly dimmed in the face of the Ultimate Reckoning. 

“NO. WORSE. MUSIC.” Death said. “MUSIC STARTS ALL REALITIES AND IS WOVEN IN TO AND THROUGH THEM. NORMALLY IT REMAINS, AS IT WERE, BACKGROUND NOISE. WHERE YOU ARE GOING IT NEVER LEFT.”

“A world that runs on music? Like… musical theatre?” Kara asked and Kate would swear there was an excited note to her voice. 

“NO. AND THEN AGAIN, YES.”

“That’s not helpful.” Kate pointed out.

“BUT IT IS ACCURATE.” The white horse eased to a halt beside another giant soap bubble and without being told the heroes dismounted. Death stayed in the saddle, looking down appraisingly. 

“SHE IS AT WORK HERE.” He hesitated as if battling with his conscious. “FIND A WAY IN TO THE SONG.” He turned and made to urge Binky forward then glanced back.

“OH AND THANK YOU FOR BEING KIND TO STREAKY KARA ZOR-EL.” At her slack jawed look of shock the light in his right eye socket flickered off for a moment and she realised that Death had just winked at her. Without another word he rode away, vanishing into the blackness around them.


	4. Chapter 4

“Well… that was different.” Kate commented as a way to break the silence. “Any idea what he meant about finding a way in?”

“At a guess… no smashing.” Carol replied. She closed the gap to the bubble then reached out and gently placed a palm flat against it. The surface rippled and the scene that met their eyes left all three heroes wide eyed in disbelief. 

“Umm… can I just check you’re both seeing this?” Kate asked.

“Depends.” Carol replied deadpan. “What, exactly, do you think you’re seeing?”

“Oh no, by all means, after you.”

“Well… let’s start with a cape and hammer?”

“Yep. And… uh… what looks like a modern take on medieval armour?”

“Uh-huh.” Carol grunted and there was an awkward silence as neither wanted to say the next part. Thankfully Kara was used to those particular silences thanks to babysitting Ollie and Barry so decided to just get it over with.

“And he’s flying unprotected, in space, with what looks to be… a jetpack?”

“Oh thank god.” Kate breathed.

“Yeah, that… that’d be it.” Carol confirmed looking as relieved as Kate sounded. “So the question is… why?”

Together Kate and Kara reached out to mirror Carol’s palm on the bubble and the moment their hands made contact sound burst around them. A driving drum beat, synthesisers howling and a throbbing guitar riff all overlaid with a surprisingly musical male voice.

_“Fly high into space to charge my  
Laser Powered Goblin Smasher  
With the force of solar fusion  
Flowing through my veins”_

“Right…. I guess that’s one way of finding out what’s going on.” Kate offered dryly. 

“In fairness that time I got trapped in a musical it did make explanations way easier.” Kara said casually and then caught the glances of her companions. “What? It happens…”

Kate turned to Carol who just shrugged. “She’s got a point. I went to a planet where everyone spoke in rhyme.”

“I’m assuming that got annoying real fast.”

“Actually it ended up being a blast.”

“Stop that right now!” Kate shot back.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” Carol snickered. 

_“Forged by ancient Gods of warfare  
Wrought of lasers from the sun  
Now suffused with astral fire  
It is the time for battle  
Every knee will bow before me  
Every goblin king will fall  
Now the time has come to  
Regain our fallen pride once more”_

“Uh, is it just me or could that easily be a bad guy song?” Kara asked.

“Nah, not a chance.” Carol replied.

“And you know that how?”

“Power fantasy metal having good goblins? Never going to happen.”

“She’s got a point there love.” Kate said casually. “Now….woah!”

Before them they saw the man raise his hammer and with a cry of “Hootsforce Arise!” there was a blinding flash of white light. When they could see again they were still staring at space only now there were two fleets of ships facing each other. One side was made up of low, sleek vessels all black angles and red accents that screamed evil empire. The other…

“Okay, this is getting silly.” Carol muttered. “Let’s get this over with. Space submarines?”

“Space submarines.” Kara and Kate echoed as one. 

_“Forces of resistance, it is time to make a stand  
No longer will Lord Zargothrax enslave our ancient land  
Sub Commander Ralathor, engage your nuclear force  
The battlefield of Cowdenbeath is where we'll set our course”_

“Oh, so nuclear powered space submarines. Good to know.” Kate noted.

“At least we’ve still got the same narrator.” Carol offered.

As they watched the two fleets opened fire, the smaller number of black ships tearing into the amassed grey cylinders of the space submarines. One by one the subs fell and on the soundtrack they could hear explosions as the command ship rocked. As their forces dwindled the subs finally managed to take down some of the attacking ships but it clearly wasn’t going to be enough. Then, to their surprise, the music shifted, changing to a higher key.

_“Fight for the king, for the hammer and the ring  
Fight for the ancient story  
Fight for your life, we must fight for Fife  
For the power and the glory”_

The perspective shifted and they saw inside the bridge, the man with the hammer raising it above his head as the sub hurtled on a collision course with the few remaining enemies. With a mighty cry of “Hootsforce!” he brought it down on the deck, an energy wave racing out and somehow not damaging his own ship as it tore apart the remaining opposition. All save one which tumbled away, powerless. The man raised an arm in victory as his crew cheered…. And the music crashed to a halt in a discordant chord, chaos enveloping the melody.

As they watched the remaining enemy righted itself, engines springing back to life as dozens more vessels materialised around it. As the music continued to flail wildly a deep, booming voice echoed around them.

“No Angus, your power is nothing to me! You are naught but insignificant worms before the infinite power of Zargothrax and his Queen!”

“Queen?” Carol asked with a sharp look at the others.

“That can’t be good.” Kara said. “We’ve got to get in there and help!”

“Listen to the music…” Kate said almost to herself, thinking fast. “Carol, pass me the Key!”

Carol lobbed it over and Kate plucked it out of the air, concentrating. “Find a way into the song…“ She muttered. “Find a way into the story…”

In her hand the key sprang to life, pulsing in time to an unheard beat. Its glow jumped out, surrounded them and with a sickening lurch they felt themselves pulled inside the bubble. They saw space race by them and the music clawed at their souls, echoing with an edge that sawed on the nerves. Broken, twisting… wrong. A loose end waiting to be repaired…

They came to a halt above the submarine, the huge enemy force closing in quickly. 

“Come on, we can still stop this!” Carol called, gathering herself for the charge.

“No!” Kate shouted and Kara reached out to grab Carol’s shoulder without knowing why but trusting her wife. “Not yet. We’re not part of it yet… just wait!”

“Not much time for waiting!” Carol replied with gritted teeth but she did as Kate ordered, holding her position. Closer they came, closer…

Suddenly the music twisted again, a driving drum beat hammering over the top and forcing the saw blade notes from the medley. It was joined by a howling guitar, the purest sound Kara had ever heard and one that seemed somehow familiar. From behind them there was a quiet sigh. Or, rather, a sigh that should have been quiet if the person it belonged to was capable of such a feat. 

“Ah well. Who wants to live forever?”

They spun and stared at a seemingly endless mass of… of…. of bird people. Human bodies with wings sprouting from their backs, armour covering enough of their bodies for decency but most were bare legged and chested. At the head of the huge formation was a giant of a man with that particular build which could be considered overweight until you took a closer look and realised it was working muscle. His face was mostly covered by a huge beard and between that and his helmet bright eyes sparkled with the thrill of battle as a roaring laugh echoed around the world.

“DIIIIIIIVVEEEEEEE!” 

At his command the massed ranks swooped down, wings tucking in and flying as easily as if they were in atmosphere. 

“How are they, what are they…. Shouldn’t they be choking on vacuum?” Kara asked, confused.

“This is a world that runs on music, remember?” Kate said happily. “Physical laws aren’t high on the agenda.”

“Nice choice by the way!” Carol called over. “Didn’t have you down as a Queen fan.”

“You’re kidding right?” Kate said with a grin that reached her voice even if they couldn’t see it through the mask. “To a young lesbian growing up in a world that would just as soon she didn’t exist they were the best ever! Besides, who else would have music that would slot into this insanity?”

“Fair point.” Carol admitted. “Plus it gave us reinforcements which is always nice!”

“Exactly. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve wanted to do this since I was twelve years old…” Kate said and the back of her suit snapped open, reconfiguring into wings. “Coming Kara?”

“Oh after you, I insist.” Supergirl said with a smile and Batwoman slammed her arms to her sides and flew into battle, flanked on her right by her wife, her left by their new friend and all around raced the shapes of countless hawkmen as the music drove them on. Yet there felt like there was something missing, an echo of silence that pulled at the all...

"Is it just me or does anyone else feel like they've forgotten their lines?" Kara asked as they closed on the enemy fleet.

"Well if this is the final act of some musical space opera shouldn’t there be some sort of quippy one liner?" Kate said.

"Oh, leave that one to me." Carol replied. "After all as a friend of mine is so fond of saying... It's clobbering time!"

"That'll do nicely!" Kate laughed and then they were in the heart of the battle, racing across the surface of the sleek black ships, Kara and Carol tearing them apart with photon blasts and heat vision, Kate using the pulse blasters Brainy had added to the suit to target any weapon emplacement that even though of firing at her friends or their be-winged backup. All around them giant technicolour explosions lit the void of space, the pounding drums and racing guitar riff seeming to grow louder with each one. 

Suddenly a group of six ships broke away in a tight formation, five shielding the central vessel and they dove towards the heart of their formation. They were met with a storm of fire from the mass ranks of Hawkmen with the three heroes looping around to catch them in a crossfire. The outer ships buckled and bubbled, cracking into dust and debris but even with the dreadful onslaught they did their job and the central ship burst through, coming to rest besides the command submarine and slamming against the metal with a clang.

"They're boarding!" Someone called from the ranks and as one Kate, Kara and Carol turned and shot towards the command ship. Kara took the lead and, fist extended, burst through an emergency hatch, Carol and Kate dropping in behind her straight into hell. Every inch of the corridor was packed with grey shapes that seemed to be mostly tooth and claw. Against them, jammed in to one end of the corridor and fighting a desperate holding action, were a group of white suited figures, full face featureless helmets obscuring their features, furs wrapped around their shoulders and upper arms.

Without a word the heroes split, Kara and Kate moving towards the front of the ship while Carol turned and held back the tide behind them. Photon blasts ripped through the air and lit the corridor in golden light as Kara battered a hole through the horde, Kate ducking under her outstretched arm to begin her own path of destruction, widening the gap and forcing their opponents to try and turn to face them in the tight confines. 

While energy bolts flew behind her Kate was resorting to hand-to-hand combat with the creatures that lay before her. Her armoured fists flew, aided by the muscle enhancements of the suit but no matter how many she downed two more seemed to pop up in its place. Suddenly she felt an odd compulsion sweep over her and found her right hand dropping to her utility belt. Before she really had time to think about it the Key was in her hand and it was pulsing with power. Her arm swung out, slashing sideways… and in the blink of an eye the Key seemed to shift, morphing into the pommel of a sword, a boiling red plasma blade projecting out and cutting through the nearest goblin. To her dull surprise the creature didn’t drop to the deck in pieces, instead fluttering into ash without a sound.

And then it hit her. This was a universe marching to the beat of the music… specifically a heavy metal space opera. The hero had a magical hammer and flew in a nuclear space submarine against an army of goblins rolled over by an all-powerful wizard. Naturally those racing to his defence would be wielding suitably flashy weapons of their own. With a tight smile that went unseen behind the mask she raised the blade and started to cut and spin through the horde, slashing through them like, well, like a hot knife through butter. The music rose around them, guitars screaming in triumph as she stepped through the last of them on to the bridge.

_“Side by side with Angus  
The warriors make fight  
Hootsman fires a laser blast  
Shoots goblins out of sight”_

As the last two lines rang out a lance of blue fire flew past Kate’s right shoulder, threading the gap between her blade and her head to neatly vaporise a goblin that was about to strike a deadly blow on the hammer-wielding hero. Thanks to her suit sensors Kate just about heard the muttered ‘Hoots*man*?’ from her wife and whispered “I guess rhythm beats accuracy love” knowing Kara would hear her. She stepped forward and extended her free hand to the man kneeling on the floor.

“Angus, I assume?”

“Angus McFife the 13th. And who are you mighty heroes that arrive in our hour of desperate need?”

“Uh….” Kate thought quickly. “Batwoman, Supergirl and Captain Marvel. What can we do to help?” 

She caught the raised eyebrow from Kara and muttered under her breath. “Oh come on, somehow Kate, Kara and Carol didn’t quite fit with ‘Angus McFife’, okay?” She saw the shrug and nod of acceptance at the logic. 

“Ride with me to the galactic fortress! We must defeat Zargothrax before he can complete the ritual under the solar conjunction!”

“Uh… sure.” Kate said lamely, not entirely sure how to respond to such heart-felt earnest deliveries of unbelievably corny dialogue. “We… uh…. We’ll stand with you Angus.”

“Smooth.” Carol whispered.

“Epic.” Kara added.

“Oh shut up the both of you.” Kate grumbled as the submarine tilted under the feet and raced towards a distant asteroid on which was peached a foreboding castle of black rock that seemed to drink in the light around it. She caught Angus looking forlornly at his hammer and felt that same odd compulsion that had pushed her to draw out the Key.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“My hammer used the last of its astral fire against the armada. Without it I cannot hope to defeat Zargothrax!”

Does he know he pronounces the exclamation marks, Kate wondered to herself but thought it better not to ask. Instead she let her mask retract so he could see her face even if it was still covered by the usual cowl. “Astral Fire, you say? We may be able to help there.”

She turned to the other two heroes who had curious and slightly nervous looks on their faces. “Uh, possibly not in here though, that’s likely a bad idea. Could we… perhaps… borrow that for a moment?”

Angus looked scandalised but she saw him think, really think, about the problem before reluctantly holding it out to them. Not bad, Kate thought, he might be part of a metal opera but there’s a smart mind behind the pomp. Carol walked over and gently took it from his grip, noticing as she did so his fingers seemed reluctant to let go. 

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Kara asked.

“Yep, you two pop outside and give it a boost. Can’t hurt”

“Unless we melt it down of course.”

“Try not to.” Kate advised.

“Oh that’s reassuring.” Kara grumbled. “Okay, Caro… uh, Captain, you hang on to it I’ll handle the… what was it… oh yes, Astral Fire.”

As they headed for the hatch Kate turned to Angus. “You don’t happen to have any cameras on the outside of this submarine? You might want to watch this…”

He still looked dazed but nodded and gestured to a crewman. A screen snapped on in mid-air, the camera looking down the length of the deck from the conning tower towards the bow. There, in the depths of space, were Supergirl and Captain Marvel, both floating ten feet above the metal to try and make sure they didn’t accidentally ground themselves on the ship. It was an odd contrast, Kara simply hanging in place while Carol’s energy twisted and flowed to let her ‘hover’. She held the hammer high, her helmet slamming into place though Kate suspected that was more for dramatic effect than actual protection. 

Supergirl took a deep breath and let her heat vision strike out, bursting against the hammer which seemed to drink it in, glowing gently at first then with increasing intensity as it fed on the solar power of a distant world in another dimension. Kara was careful to regulate herself, lending what she could without risking her own strength. As a result the process took a couple of minutes, the entire bridge crew watching in stunned silence as the lightshow raged outside and sparks flew down over Captain Marvel, her own cosmic glow adding to the moment. 

Finally Supergirl shut down her heat vision and the two made their way back to Angus. To Kate’s surprise Carol actually got down on one knee to present the weapon like a loyal servant. It was clearly the right move though as the instant his fingers grasped it the world seemed to shake and every light on the ship flickered. There was a last ringing chord and into the silence Angus cried:

“TO THE FIELDS OF COWDENBEATH AND THE GALACTIC FORTRESS!”


	5. Chapter 5

There was a lurch and suddenly Kate, Kara and Carol found themselves standing on the barren rock of the once-distant asteroid, the black fortress towering above them. 

“Okay… well that’s convenient. I guess.” Carol said flatly. 

“Uh, we’re not exactly alone.” Kara warned as she pointed at the army closing in on them. Skeletal warriors riding on corrupted horses…no, Kate thought as she looked closer, not horses. Unicorns. Above them flights of undead eagles screeched and wheeled and all of it headed for the three women and Angus. 

“You two take the army, I’ll handle the air force.” Carol ordered, looking to the heavens.

“You sure, there’s a lot of them?” Kara pointed out.

“I was getting bored anyway.” Carol said with a wink as she turned and sprinted a few strides across the battlefield before launching into the sky. 

“Angus, get between us!” Kate called as she went back to back with her wife, the plasma sword burning in her hand, the mask slamming back into place with a final-sounding clank of metal. To her surprise he did as she told him though it was clear if they weren’t here he’d be charging the oncoming army single-handed if need be. 

“Save that hammer until we need it!” Kara said. “Not sure I can charge it up again.” And then the vanguard reached them and there was no more time for talking. There was, however, time for the music to race above them, an ominous chanting underlaid with driving bass and staring strings.

Above them the sky lit up as Carol threw photon blasts at everything that moved, casting rainbow coloured splashes of light on the slavering hordes that quickly surrounded them. Kara let her fists fly, not holding back now as every blow sent warriors flying, most dissolving into ash as they hurtled over the heads of their fellows. On the other side Kate was letting the sword do most of the heavy lifting, saving her direct blows for anything trying to duck past her to get to Angus. 

“Captain, any sign of an end to them?” Supergirl yelled.

“Uh… hang on….” The response crackled back in their ears, Carol’s suit interfacing easily with their League comm units. Kate glanced up and saw the living comet pull a hard turn and slam into a loop-the-loop burning herself a gap in the giant birds racing in to the attack.

“Not so much, no.” She reported. “But there’s a tall thin guy in a robe heading on to the battlefield if that’s any help?”

“I’m assuming that’s the wizard?” Kate asked.

“Angus, is Zargonthrax by any chance tall, thin and likes wearing a robe?”

“Yes! Where is he, my hammer need to meet his face!”

“Okay….” Kara thought fast, glancing round to make sure she knew where they were heading. “Batwoman, start trying to move to your right, Angus stay between us until you have a clear path, alright?” She saw him nod, still very clearly unhappy about not being part of the fight.

“Captain, when we’re close enough for Angus to make the charge can you open up a path for him?”

“No problem.”

“Then let’s move!” Gradually they edged their way into the horde, still defending but angling now to force their foes to a different angle and open up a thin wedge they could work their way down. On and on they fought, countless foes falling before their onslaught. Kate felt her muscles ache and start to burn, sweat soaking her skin under the armoured suit. Kara could hear her wife’s heartbeat picking up but it was the steady increase demanded by her efforts not the wild racing of panic. 

And then, suddenly, the ground ahead of them lit up in a maelstrom of cosmic energy as Captain Marvel flew low overhead, her hands firing a constant barrage of photon blasts and slicing a hundred metre wide path through the army. At one end were Supergirl, Batwoman and Angus while at the other stood Zargothrax frozen in shock as Angus broke from his protectors and sprinted towards his mortal enemy, hammer held aloft.

He covered the ground in seconds and the evil wizard seemed routed to the spot. He swung the hammer down… and a second figure seemed to blur on top of Zargothrax. For an instant it was as if two people occupied the same space then the Queen of Fables raised her hand and caught the falling hammer, its energy pouring over her, wrapping around her body before seemingly getting sucked inside of her. She looked up and her eyes glowed red as Zargothrax crumpled to the ground and turned to liquid ash, his face a mask of horror. 

Above them the music screamed, every note etching itself onto the soul as something fundamentally wrong with the universe. The Queen smiled and raised her other hand…. And the world froze. The armies locked in place, Angus kneeling on the ground before her where he’d landed from delivering his supposedly fatal blow, hammer lying spent and useless beside him. Supergirl and Batwoman found themselves unable to move then, a second later, Captain Marvel crashed down beside them, landing flat on her face as she, too, found herself held immobile. 

“And just like that the universe is mine…” The Queen said, her voice as smooth as silk even as the music of the world buzzed and howled around them. “I have his place now and none of you have power enough to stop me here.”

She turned and regarded the three heroes with an almost curious air. She saw Supergirl trying to force herself to move only to find even her great strength insufficient to fight the spell that held her. Batwoman wasn’t trying to fight free but the Queen could hear her mind racing, ideas sleeting by in a desperate attempt to find a solution. And then there was Captain Marvel… who was starting to glow.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The Queen asked casually, walking up to stare down at the grounded Captain. “You cannot fight against this.”

Carol ground her teeth and felt her strength build, the glow intensifying and the ground beneath her starting to tremble.

“This isn’t simply power any more silly girl. Here the music is law. Stay down.”

The words echoed through Carol’s mind. Stay down. How many times had she been told that in her life. Stay down, accept defeat, give up… The rock beneath her began to bubble as she managed to move one finger and lay it flat on the ground.

“Oh impressive.” Now the Queen was practically applauding the effort as her voice dripped with sarcasm. Carol grunted and managed to lay her palm flat on the ground, her foot slipping underneath her. Stay down the world urged, it’s easier… no, get up, get up, get UP she raged at herself. 

“What mighty feats you perform for us Captain.” But the sarcastic words were little more than fuel feeding the fire. Carol knew, had always known, what so few of her enemies failed to grasp. Heroes got up when they should stay down because it was the right thing to do, because they had no other choice… but for Carol it was different. For her it was simple, much simpler than most realised. Stay down? Her body shifted as she rose an inch or two off the ground. Stay down. No… no, not now, not ever. Get up. Not for honour or glory or justice. She would get up if only to look those who’d keep her down in the eye and prove them wrong!

“No… no you cannot fight the universe.” The Queen said but her confidence was wavering now as Carol slowly, oh so slowly, raised her head to stare up at the Queen.

“Fuck…. The….. Universe!” She spat and in a single blinding moment broke free. She rocketed upwards, launching herself with her fist extended towards the Queen’s face. Caught off-guard the Queen back peddled and brought all her strength to bear, freezing Captain Marvel in place once more an inch from her chin… but the price was high. Around her the world moved and Batwoman had found the time she needed to think.

“Supergirl, catch!” The Key raced between the married couple and Kara snagged it out of the air. She looked over with a question written as clear as day on her face and Kate yelled back. “This world runs on music! Now she does too!” Kara blinked, realised where Kate was going and concentrated. Amongst the agonised harmony of pain that seemed to be slicing through reality itself there was… something. Something else, something more. Something that had been a part of this Universe since it was born, something that had a power no-one could control though maybe it could be directed. Maybe it could heal…

Time seemed to pause and Kara felt as if she was standing at the exact centre of her life, her memories, thoughts, feelings, dreams and fears all stretching around her in some vast auditorium. In her mind the music too was paused as if waiting for its cue. No, she realised, it was waiting for her. Not to give her power the way the Queen of Fables had taken it but for her to help it, to give it shape and form, to give it purpose. She focused on the tapestry of her life stretching out around her, hunting for what felt right. For something that could shape a universe.

For a heartbeat she saw Krypton exploding around her, her parents lost to view amongst the flames. She felt the music growl, responding to her but she quickly pulled away. She knew that path, knew there was power in it but also knew the price it commanded. She saw Alex and Eliza and Jeremiah taking her in, sheltering her from the storm… but that, too, felt wrong. There was peace and comfort there and a certain strength but not enough, not for this.

Her life blurred as she spun amongst the memories, her soul pulled this way and that by triumphs and failures, by heartache and joy. And then…. Then she was standing in a broken down graffiti covered lobby of a tower block. Barry and Oliver stood to her right but as she looked up to a balcony above them they seemed to fade away. The first time she’d seen that striking face, the intense gaze and little half smile that would capture her heart… The music seemed to rise and flood through her, harmonising with her soul as it lifted her up. 

Her life rolled past again but now it was different, now it was focused. Shaking Kate’s hand outside Arkham, reassuring her when the Crisis began, the presence of her at the Vanishing Point and the way it had anchored Kara to what little reality remained. Their first kiss and every one that came after… Kara remembered them all, every moment and now they rushed back to her like a river in flood, fuel for the music as it built to a silent crescendo. Her eyes snapped open and the world around her burst back into life.

The Key bubbled in her hand, shifting form once more from the sword pommel that Batwoman had needed to the one thing Kara now realised gave her true power here. The Queen didn’t dare move her attention from Captain Marvel and could only watch as Kara rose into the sky, her cape flying in a sudden wind. She raised her right hand to her lips and cupped in her fingers was a microphone, a broken stand hanging from it as a single thin rod. The tortured music cut off like someone had pulled a plug and then, quietly, a deep, instant drum beat echoed across the asteroid.

_“Empty spaces, what are we living for?  
Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and on  
Does anybody know what we are living for?” ___

____

____

Her voice soared above the battle, raced out into the universe around them. Kate and Carol turned, open-mouthed as Kara fought the Queen of Fables on her own ground. 

_“Another hero, another mindless crime  
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime  
Hold the line  
Does anybody want to take it anymore?”_

Her left hand shot out and a swirling fountain of golden energy left from her fingers to wrap around the skeleton horde. Their heads rolled back and with a shiver they dissolved into dust. The Queen screamed and lashed out, a silver-edged black bolt of lightning hurled at the singing Supergirl like the vengeance of the gods.

_“The show must go on  
The show must go on, yeah”_

The bolt hit and rocked her back a few yards but she just shook her head in defiance and didn’t miss a note.

_“Inside my heart is breaking  
My makeup may be flaking  
But my smile, still, stays on”_

The Queen snarled and spread her arms wide. As Kara sang the ground rolled and a fresh horde of goblins rose to face the heroes. 

“Come on!” Kate snapped to Carol. “She can handle the Queen, we just need to buy her time!”

As the music rose and Kara’s beautiful voice soared above them they felt the weariness leave their bodies and threw themselves once more into the battle. Now though things felt… different. Before it had been just another battle, albeit one with a kick ass soundtrack. This time the music wrapped around them and they felt it guide their actions. It was all so… effortless, Kate thought, as her fist rocked another goblin back into the path of a photon blast. Like the universe itself was telling her what to do.

Suddenly the tempo changed and Kate looked up. The Queen had her hands outstretched, the silver-edged darkness wrapping around Kara, rising up her body like a second skin. As it reached her neck Kate saw, to her shock, a smile quirk her wife’s lips.

_“My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies  
Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die  
I can fly, my friends”_

The last line grew in power until it seemed like it would cross the dimensional barrier and be heard back in National City, Kara singing it perfectly without so much as a hitch or waver in pitch. She threw her arms wide, shattering the blackness surrounding her and replacing it with a beautiful golden glow that reached out and bathed the asteroid.

_“I'll face it with a grin  
I'm never giving in  
On with the show”_

Everywhere the light touched it seemed to burn away the armies of evil, forcing them back and leaving Carol and Kate standing suddenly alone beneath the singing Supergirl. It reached the Queen and rose to meet her, wrapping around her as she’d tried to smother Kara. Now though it was unstoppable, cresting over her, covering her from head to foot then snapping down, solidifying and shrinking until with a small thud and burst of dust a large hardback book hit the ground.

Kara wasn’t done though. She could feel the demands of the music, of the story pulling at her. She had to finish the song…

_“I'll top the bill  
I'll overkill  
I have to find the will to carry on  
On with the show  
Show  
Show must go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on”_

The last words echoed on long after she’d reached the end and she felt them reach out into the universe, felt the beat steady as it wrapped around them and balanced reality once more. The light left her and she fell, slowly, to the asteroid, landing on her hands and knees gasping for air. She felt something shift in her hand and looked over through a fog of exhaustion to see the Key reshaping itself back into the simple block they were used to.

“Here…” She passed it to Carol as she ran up a step behind Batwoman who crouched and wrapped an arm protectively around Supergirl. “Can you get us home?”

“I think so…” Carol said. “You’re sure you’re ready to…”

“Yes, let’s just… something tells me this isn’t the time for an encore.” Kara smiled weakly and Carol concentrated, her spare hand clasping Supergirl’s shoulder as she checked that Kate had a firm grip on her wife. They snapped away just as Angus recovered from the spell he’d been under and turned to thank the mysterious warriors for their aid.


	6. Chapter 6

The three heroes crashed to the floor of the DEO command centre in a mixed up heap. There was a groan from somewhere in the pile that Alex was pretty damn sure belonged to her sister.

“Oww.” That sounded like Carol, Alex thought, rushing forward to help sort out the mess. 

“That sucked…” Definitely Kate, Alex noted with a slight smile. She’d never met anyone who could get so much low level annoyance into so few words. 

“Uh, who’s hand is that?” Kara asked casually.

“Yours I think?” Kate replied.

“No, definitely not, mine are here.”

“Hey!” Carol said sharply. “At least buy me dinner first!”

“Oops, sorry, thought that was.. “ Kate coughed and Kara remembered just in time there were agents around who might not know the full story. “Anyway, if those are mine then as I asked, whose is the other one?”

“No idea what you mean.” Carol said but Alex caught the slightly guilty tone and saw an arm move back a little. Kate didn’t say anything, not least because she was pretty sure the woman straddling her thigh wasn’t her wife and not drawing attention to that fact was probably a spectacularly good idea right now.

“Okay, let’s get you up.” Alex said, leaning down and starting to untangle the mass of limbs. “Uh, Batwoman, don’t suppose you could try to ditch the armour, that’d probably help.”

“Sure… umm… actually could you just press that flashing green button?” Kate asked, tripping the external release on her left arm. “Not sure I can get to it right now.”

Alex shook her head and tapped the control, the metal folding away and slipping off Kate’s back to leave her in the regular batsuit. “Okay, now if we move your arm under Supergirl’s.. uh, under Supergirl…” Kate let Alex guide her right arm out from beneath Kara but couldn’t quite resist letting her fingers drop down just a little to graze the tops of Kara’s thighs.

“Hey!” Supergirl protested.

“Sorry but I’m not driving here.” Batwoman replied with an innocent look that didn’t fool Alex for a second.

“Right… that should do it. Captain if you get up first…” 

Carol pushed herself wearily to her feet then reached down to help up Kate who did the same for Kara. 

“So… day saved?” Alex asked.

“Pretty much. Stopped the Queen and trapped her in a book. Oh crap, we left the book!” Kara said, realisation flooding through her.

“Actually, no, it’s in the future bat suit.” Kate reassured her. “Snagged it with a grapple before we took off. Whatever tricks Brainy’s doing to manage the weapon systems seems to work on anything in the utility belt so it’s tucked away nice and safe.”

“We’ll need to find somewhere suitable for that particular tome.” Brainy said from a safe distance. He’d long since learned that when it came to anything with so much physical contact between Kara and Kate discretion was the better part of valour. “For now though the Fortress might be the best option.”

“Didn’t we just come from the Fortress?” Carol asked, confused.

“Fortress of Solitude, not the Galactic Fortress.” Kara explained. “My cousins home away from home and pretty much the most secure place on earth.”

“Oh. Uh, talking of which I think the Key can probably take me home but I could really do with a night off first. Anyone know of a good hotel?”

Kara and Kate looked at each other and reached a decision. “If you’d like you’re welcome to stay at my place.” Supergirl offered. “It’s not much but it’ll be better than a hotel.”

“Does it have a shower?”

“A surprisingly good one.”

“Then absolutely yes! Thank you.”

“What about the riots?” Kate asked before holding up a hand. “Hang on, wrong question. How long were we gone?”

“About three minutes thirty seconds.” Alex said and then looked very confused when Kate laughed and muttered something about a ‘radio edit’ under her voice. “And I thought you might be in rough shape when you got back so Kid Flash agreed to come help us out tonight if we need it.”

“You’re a lifesaver.” Kate said quietly, sending a private wink inside the cowl. 

“Come on Captain, I’ll show you the way.” Supergirl said. She felt kinda bad for letting Batwoman make her own way home but knew Kate was unlikely to take being carried twice in one day particularly well.

“Gotta say Kara, you’ve got a nice place here!” Carol said and she sounded genuinely impressed. “Does the superhero gig pay more than it does in my reality?”

“Almost certainly not.” Kara laughed. “Actually I work as a reporter and that pays the bills.”

“You can afford this on a reporters salary?”

“Well she is technically married to one of the main shareholders…” Kate said, walking in the front door in strategically ripped jeans and a tight white t-shirt. “A small amount of unethical corruption and favouritism is expected! Plus this place isn’t exactly in a good part of town, getting an iron pipe on the head tends to keep rent low.”

“Why does that not seem like something that’d bother you?” Carol asked with a smirk.

“Me? You should have seen the way the neighbourhood cleaned up its act when Alex lived here!” Kara said with pride. “Uh, talking of… there’s something I need to tell you.” She looked a bit sheepish as she beckoned Carol over to the couch. 

“I told you my name’s Kara Zor-El, and that’s true…. But when I got to Earth I was adopted by a human family. Alex is my sister… I mean, my adopted sister, technically, human not Kryptonian.”

“So… that would make you, what, Kara Danvers?” Carol asked.

“Yeah… “

“Well that’s one hell of a coincidence!” Carol said. “I mean what are the odds that… well…”

“That the people of two realities would rely on a gorgeous blonde saviour to pull their asses out of the proverbial astral fire?” Kate supplied helpfully as she grabbed three beers from the fridge and passed them round. 

“Well I might not have put it quite that way but yeah, that. I mean, are we alternate versions of each other or…”

“I don’t see how.” Kara offered. “I mean, I’m Kryptonian and you’re Human… kinda tricky to see how that could just be an alternate universe thing without some serious retconing. Plus we both get our power from different places, have different abilities…”

“Not to get in the way of a fascinating philosophical debate but can I offer a possibility?” Kate asked and got answering nods. “Maybe the Universe, any Universe, just likes have a Danvers to call on when the shit hits the fan and the boys are out of ideas. Makes as much sense as anything else we’ve seen today.”

Kara suddenly giggled and once started she couldn’t quite stop. In fact it took her a couple of minutes to get herself under control. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just…” She almost went again but managed to force the laughter down. “I can’t wait to talk to Sara!”

Kate looked blank for a moment then joined in the laughter, “Oh yeah, we’ve definitely got a fifty foot plush toy beat this time.”

Carol turned from one to the other, confused. “And the joke would be?” She asked eventually.

“Oh, some of our friends seem to have a habit of getting into really weird adventures.” Kara said. “Including, for some reason, a recurring visit from a fifty foot high giant talking and walking plush toy named Beebo. After what we’ve seen today they’re definitely losing that weird adventurers title.”

“My advice?” Carol said, taking a long swig on her beer. “Make the bet first, tell them after.”

Kate and Kara laughed and leant forward to tap their bottles to hers in salute. Carol looked around the apartment again, taking in the everyday trappings of a normal life and shook her head.

“What?” Kara asked, somewhat defensively. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, no, sorry… nothing’s wrong. It’s actually a really nice place though I’ll admit I was expecting something a bit grander considering the resources you’ve clearly got.”

“Well technically it’s Kate that’s loaded.” Kara teased. “I’m just the cute arm candy.”

“Oh, clearly.” Kate said with a long-suffering sigh. “As we tend to spend a lot of time apart thanks to the capes we’ve each got our own place in our respective home towns plus a shared apartment. Helps make it a bit easier to take if you’re not constantly seeing reminders of the one who’s not there.”

“Makes sense.” Carol agreed. “Uh…. Mind if I ask a personal question?”

“Go for it.” Kate grinned. “They’re usually the most interesting after all.”

“I was just wondering how you do this. Find time for a life in amongst the madness I mean, not the domestic bit, I get that.”

“Well it’s not easy, but having a partner who can fly a few thousand miles before you’ve finished running the bath helps.” Kate said. 

“And the rest is…. well, as corny as it sounds, love.” Kara added. “I can’t imagine a world without Kate in it and while it sucks we can’t always wake up together I’d much rather wake up with her sometimes than never.”

“What she said.” Kate confirmed. “I mean, come on, wouldn’t you put up with pretty much anything for that smile?”

Kara blushed and Carol laughed. “I see your point and, yes, probably.” She looked Kara up and down and the blush deepened. “Well done, by the way, you’re a better person than me.”

“How so?” Kate asked, curious.

“You went with the smile and not that ass.”

Kate snorted with laughter having come perilously close to spraying beer across the room. “I try and alternate.” She admitted. “Keeps things fresh.”

“Must be nice…” Carol said quietly, though both Kate and Kara heard her easily enough.

“What, that ass? Very.” Kate joked, trying to keep the mood light.

“You okay?” Kara asked, reaching out and putting a hand on Carol’s shoulder.

“Hmm? Yeah. Yeah. It’s just… it’s been a while since I even thought about having anything like this.”

“How long…” Kara asked gently, realising Carol likely rarely had a chance to talk about her personal life.

“Roughly, oh, thirty years, give or take.”

“Thirty years?!” Kara couldn’t quite keep her voice calm and blushed again. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I mean that’s for anything serious. If you’re talking casual one night stands it can’t be longer than a decade or so.”

Kara moved instinctively, her hand sliding across Carol’s shoulders and pulling her into a hug. Kate shuffled on to the couch and wrapped Carol up from the other side, letting her snuggle in to their warmth and life, remembering what it was like to be something other than the galactic hero as an alien refuge and her human lover lent her the normal life they’d forced the universe to give them. As their guest gave a contented sigh Kara threw Kate a look over Carol’s head and got a cautious but enthusiastic nod in return.

“Uh, Carol, not to be rude but would you mind if I asked you a personal question?” Kara said quietly.

“Only seems fair.” Carol replied.

“Want to make up for lost time?”


	7. Chapter 7

Carol froze, her mind racing. She couldn’t mean… could she?

“Umm… what exactly did you have in mind?” Carol asked carefully.

“This.” Kara let her fingers gently tip Carol’s head up and bent down to kiss her. Slowly, tenderly, no pressure or urgency… at least not yet. She let Carol adjust, wondered which way she was going to go. Then with a tentativeness that was almost shy she felt Carol lean in to the kiss, her lips parting as she match Kara’s movements. Behind her back Kara threw Kate a thumbs up then gave Carol another fifteen seconds before easing back.

Kate’s hand was already wrapped around Carol’s shoulders and she eased her round so they were face to face. “And this.” She dove in, taking advantage of Kara breaking the ice to be a little more forceful, her spare hand running through Carol’s short hair and managing to find just enough to grip as she held the blonde in place. To her delight she felt a quiet moan buzz through the kiss as Carol melted in her arms. By the time they pulled apart Captain Marvel looked like a teenager on her first date if her first date happened to be with two two of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen.

“Wow…” Carol gasped not knowing which of them to look at first. “That… that was… was….”

“Good?” Kate asked with a slightly smug smile.

“Great?” Kara threw in to the mix.

“Spectacular!” Carol said.

“More?” To Kate’s surprise Kara actually beat her to the question but that just meant she could admire Carol’s stunning figure as she twisted around to face Kara.

“Please!” This time Kara laid back, inviting Carol to come to her, arms above her head to show off her own toned body. Kate couldn’t help but notice the Girl of Steel throwing a quick glance in her direction before stretching her head back, exposing her throat knowing full well how much of a turn-on Kate found her neck to be. Apparently the same was true for Carol as she whimpered quietly before crawling on top of Kara to accept the invitation. 

Kate had to reign herself in as she saw Carol’s tight ass swaying before her, the temptation to spank this remarkable woman suddenly burning within her. But no, no she shouldn’t she knew. Not because she might hurt her, quite the opposite really, but more for fear of scaring her off. Take it slow, her inner voice whispered, let her get comfortable first. With the tiniest sigh of disappointment Kate mirrored Carol’s pose, wrapping herself around the Captain’s back knowing Kara could easily take the extra weight, assuming she even noticed it. 

For a minute or two Kate concentrated on kissing Carol’s neck and back, working her way slowly under the t-shirt, until she realised that there seemed to be a slight problem with proceedings. The kissing was still going on but there didn’t appear to be much… progress, so to speak. Reluctantly she lifted her lips to whisper in Carol’s ear.

“You okay with this?”

“Yessss….” The word was a hissed growl. “It’s just…. just….”

Kate thought quickly then had to resist face-palming as the truth hit her. It had been over a decade since she’d done anything with anyone, probably two or three times that since she’d had any serious practice. As odd as it may be to think of Carol Danvers in that way she just wasn’t going to be particularly confident!

“Want us to drive?” Kate suggested and she felt Carol’s back tense for a moment before relaxing in acceptance of the situation.

“If you wouldn’t mind…” There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in the words and of course Kara heard them as clearly as Kate did. 

“Captain, it’ll be our pleasure.” Kate growled and grinned in triumph as she felt the shiver pass through the beautiful body below her. Reluctantly she slid off, kneeling alongside the couch and shuffling up until she was lined up with the two blonde heads. Picking her moment she waited until Carol pulled back for air then dove in to kiss Kara right in front of their guest. As always the presence and taste of her wife drove her crazy but to have the extra scent and essence of the second blonde on her lips and tongue was a delightful twist. 

“Mine?” Kate asked as she broke the kiss, holding Kara’s face gently between her palms.

“Always.” The reply was immediate and the sparkle in Kara’s eyes sent Kate’s heart fluttering. 

“Then let’s show the good Captain some Earth Prime hospitality.” Kara grinned and wrapped her arms around Carol before floating them both off the couch. Kate led the way into the bedroom, Kara gliding smoothly through the air behind her. Once they were over the bed she turned, letting her legs wrap around Carol to make sure she didn’t slip out as gravity took over. She glanced at Kate who nodded towards the headboard and got a wicked grin in return that both worried and thrilled Carol. 

Kara lowered her softly to the mattress and guided her hands above her head. Almost before Carol realised what was happening there was a soft click and both of her wrist were wrapped in leather lined cuffs, threaded neatly through the twirling iron shapes of the headboard. She was about to protest when she realised she didn’t mind in the least. In fact… in fact it was somewhat liberating, she thought, gently tugging on the restraints. Now there was no pressure, no expectation. All she could do was lie there and accept whatever they wished to do to her. Well… okay, granted she could break free any time she wanted to but she really, really didn’t have any intention of doing so. 

“Don’t melt my bed!” Kara warned her before sliding off and standing alongside her wife as they stared down at the slowly wriggling Carol Danvers. Kate let out a low whistle as she drank in the sight. “Damn you’re beautiful.” She said and Carol felt herself blush, actually blush, at the compliment. 

“Top or bottom?” Kate asked and Carol found herself stumped.

“Top or bottom what?” She asked, looking for a little more information.

“Top or bottom?” Kate repeated with a wink. 

“Uh… top?” Carol answered then gasped in surprise as Kate lent down, grasped the neck of the t-shirt and tore it open, splitting it down the front and pulling the remains away. She was left naked from the waist up and her figure was if anything even more impressive when set free. 

To Kara it was almost like looking at a blend between herself and Kate. From the billboards, magazines and interviews she couldn’t help but see on a daily basis to the countless camera phone pictures that scattered her social media accounts she had a pretty good idea of her own physique and knew, if she was being honest, it was something special. But she had an unfair advantage, her powers keeping her not only young but in astonishing shape without the need to exercise. Kate had no less enviable a physique but unlike Kara she had to work at it every single day, pushing herself to the limit to stay in peak condition. 

Carol’s slim physique had echoes of Kara’s but the tight and obvious muscle definition everywhere they looked spoke of the dedication she put in to keeping it that way. Kara couldn’t help reaching out and running her fingers over the clear six pack, marvelling at how dense the muscles where beneath the smooth flesh. The topper on the delectable treat that lay before them were truly spectacular breasts that both women found it hard to keep their eyes, hands and tongues off. Not huge but certainly larger than either Kara or Kate’s yet perfectly balanced to her physique. Just a cup size bigger would have been too much, Kate thought, yet this was perfect. 

She saw Carol start to blush from their stares and nudged Kara who stirred with a slightly guilty look then slid on to the bed beside their new toy. She wrapped her long legs around Carol’s left thigh as Kate copied her on Carol’s right, their hands starting to glide over her exposed, silky smooth stomach. Their lips found her neck and they both bore in, nuzzling and kissing and even nipping as they looked to start the long journey to a mind blowing release. 

Carol gave a long, heartfelt groan and felt years of stress and responsibility melt away. The part of her that was always watching her back marvelled at the differences between the alien and human. Kate was… well, was what Carol automatically expected. Her body moved in a beautifully predictable way, all barely controlled passion and aggression. In truth Carol could tell Kate was holding back for her benefit and she appreciated it. 

Kara though was something entirely different. Her skin was perfect, not a mark or blemish to be seen or felt as she slid around Carol’s legs and nuzzled up against her neck. The pads of her fingers were so smooth against her bare stomach and ribs they could have been made from teflon as they explored their prize. But the biggest surprise was the heat pouring from the Kryptonian. It wasn’t painful or shocking, more the gentle warmth of snuggling under a heavy blanket but it was everywhere and constant, lulling Carol to let her guard down. 

Not that she needed much encouragement as two pairs of lips worked at her naked body and what felt like a forest of fingertips explored everywhere from her waist to ears. She was so lost in the wonderful experience she completely missed Kara throwing Kate a glance across Carol’s bound body, her eyes flicking down. She missed Kate grinning evilly and nodding agreement. She absolutely did not miss both women quickly switching their target and locking their eager mouths around her nipples. 

“HOLY F…..!” The cry was ripped from her in surprise as Kate bit and Kara lapped, the mix of pain and pleasure stoking her fires more quickly than she’d have believed possible. Just as she started to breathe again the two switched roles, Kate easing the throbbing fire she’d caused with long, slow licks as Kara nipped and sucked the saliva-soaked flesh .

“Ggggggggggg.” Words deserted her and she felt her head roll back, eyes trying to see out of the back of her head as sensations she’d never even considered existed coursed through her. And this, the tiny rational part of her mind pointed out, was what these two considered a warm up! There was something wrong though and she tried to fight through the waves of ecstasy to tell them about it.

“K… k… kaaate.” Carol whispered, her hands wrapping ardour the iron headboard. 

“Yes pet?” Kate replied casually and Kara had to smother a laugh as she picked up the scent of Carol’s reaction to that little act of ownership. 

“C…can….. oh fuck…. Ccccan I…..”

“Can you what? Come on now, speak up.”

Kara decided Carol was clearly starting to swing past her initial shyness and raised the stakes a little. She touched her tongue to the rock-hard nipple trapped in her warm, wet mouth and started to lap at superspeed. The result was a mix of sensational tit worship and a vibrator and Carol started thrashing in her bonds as Kara worked her over.

“S…. See you… nnnnaaaakkkkk….” Her words cut off, lost in the wave of pleasure Kara was bestowing on her but Kate was impressed. She knew first hand just how that felt and was absolutely sure she wouldn’t have been able to speak the first time to save her life. 

“See us…. Naked?” Kate asked and Carol eagerly nodded her head even as the attack continued.

“Hmm, well, that’s a big request…” Kate teased. “Don’t you think so love?”

“Oh very much so, yes.” Kara agreed over the moan of disappointment from Carol as that wonderful vibrating tongue lifted away from her breast. 

“Tell you what…. You can have one.”

“One?” Carol asked, confused and shivering as Kate ran her fingertips across her hips, brushing the denim jeans.

“One. Of us. Naked.” Kate explained. “Seems fair to me, just chose which.”

Carol looked from one to the other and back again, her mouth opening and closing silently. It was all Kate could do not to laugh at the obvious war going on within the Captain. Not that she could blame her, it was one hell of a difficult choice…

“What’s the matter Captain?” Kate asked, replacing her fingers with her lips and kissing across the flat stomach.

“Need some more inspiration?” Kara teased, matching Kate’s motions on Kate’s left until they met just above her belly button. Their lips came together and they shared a kiss, their cheeks resting on Carol’s washboard abs and giving the captive blonde the most astonishing view she’d ever imagined. 

“Uhhhhggghhhhhh….” The moan was guttural, Carol trying to find words to make her decision but it was impossible! How could she pick between them? They were both beautiful beyond words and that was before they’d tied her down and started to torment her! She almost decided on Kara as she caught sight of those spectacular legs wrapped in tight blue jeans but then she glanced at Kate and there was something about the way the brunette moved, the flash of mischief in her eyes and her own killer body that broke her resolve.

“Okay, okay, this is supposed to be a nice thing we’re doing.” Kara admonished her wife.

“It is! At least I don’t hear her complaining.”

“Only because she’s lost the ability to speak.”

“Not my fault you’re irresistible!” 

“Behave or I’ll… I’ll tie you up on top of her face and turn your butt red.”

“Sorry, is that supposed to be a threat?” Kate said, grinding her hips against Carol’s leg. 

“Yes, as I’ll gag her first and you don’t get anything for the rest of the night.”

Kate’s face fell and she whimpered quietly. Carol felt herself reach another level as she caught a glimpse of the meaner side of Kara Danvers. It was, she had to admit, a very good look on her. But as much as Kate loved when Kara took charge tonight wasn’t about her or even them, not really. It was about the bound woman beneath them and from the scent lying thick in the room she was was just about ready to burst.

“Okay, you’re right, I’ll be nice.” She glanced down Carol’s body, letting her gaze linger on her wonderful legs. “How’s this Carol… we get naked if you do?”

Carol nodded so quickly Kate wasn’t sure she’d actually finished talking before the agreement had been given. 

“Now normally I’d want to tease you with this but I’m not sure you’re going to keep your sanity if we do that…” Kate said, kissing Carol’s stomach. “Kara, would you mind?”

“My pleasure…” Kara purred and she moved so quickly she seemed to vanish. A gust of wind blew and suddenly all three women were naked as the day they were born. Carol gasped in surprise then cried out as Kate moved like lightning to claim the prized spot between her thighs and happily went to work. Carol saw sparks in front of her eyes and let out a wordless cry of pleasure. Kara was busying herself kissing, licking and nibbling every inch of skin from Carol’s waist to her throat, paying particularly close attention to her earlobes once she found out a simple kiss was enough to send the Captain into shivers of delight.

It didn’t take long for them to push her to the edge and Kate felt muscles tighten around her as Carol tensed. For a second she thought about delaying the moment, drawing it out to tease their toy a little more. But, again, that wasn’t what they were here for tonight so she doubled down, snaking her tongue inside to lap at a spot she’d noticed as a particularly effective one. 

Carol howled and her thighs snapped tight around Kate’s head who grunted but kept pushing the blonde on to her orgasm then through and into a second. Kara let the first screams of delight echo around the room then snagged Carol’s lips with her own and kissed her deeply as she rode through the second orgasm. By the time she let go Carol was a panting mess but the married couple had to admit she looked spectacular like this. 

“How’re you feeling.” Kara asked as she gently stroked Carol’s short hair away from her face. 

“Amazing…” Carol replied dreamily. 

“More?”

Carol’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “There’s more?”

“Oh yes, if you want it.”

“Yes! Yes please!”

Kate reluctantly moved out of the way and Kara took her place, Kate sliding in next to Carol and kissing her, sharing the taste of her orgasm with the Captain.

“You’re in for a treat…” Kate whispered sultrily. “Kara is the best I’ve ever known at pleasuring a woman.”

Carol gulped then, to everyone’s surprise including hers, giggled. “Sorry, sorry.” She apologised quickly, afraid she’d broken the mood but then noticed the grin on Kate’s face.

“Oh no, come on, out with it!”

“It’s just… back when I was in the air force my best friend and I used to encourage each other on. Not like this!” She protested at Kate’s raised eyebrow. “But it would fit…”

“What would?” Kate asked, carefully tracing Carol’s earlobe with her tongue. 

“Ooohhhhhh….” Carol looked down her own body and saw Kara lying there staring back at her, blue eyes sparkling with mischief and a raised eyebrow of her own. She gave in.

“Higher. Further. Faster.” She replied and Kara laughed. 

“Your wish is my command.” She said and dove eagerly to the task before her.

For as long as she lived Carol never really knew what, exactly, Kara did next. Looking back afterwards it was all a blur of pleasure upon pleasure, orgasm following orgasm so quickly she never knew where one ended and the next began. A couple of times she was sure she was half a second away from passing out before Kara eased back to let her grab a breath. She saw stars, hell entire galaxies, yet somehow there was never a ceiling to reach, always another peak beyond the one she was flying up. 

At some point, as her last reservations had boiled away in the face of Kara’s unrelenting efforts, she’d begged Kate to mount her face and had eagerly gone down… or was that up… on a woman for the first time. She was nervous about her inexperience but she knew she couldn’t ask for a better teacher than Kate Kane who seemed to respond to everything yet could subtly guide her efforts with just a slight movement of her hips or thighs. She tasted wonderful too, which surprised Carol and she wondered if that was unique to Kate or if this was a hint that she needed to expand her horizons. 

Curious she’d begged again, something she certainly wasn’t used to doing but that felt natural under the circumstances, for Kate and Kara to swap positions. The Kryptonian was an entirely different experience, not least because she would lift away as her orgasm broke over her to make sure she didn’t hurt Carol with an unexpected twitch of her muscles. The result was her orgasm splashing over Carol’s face, anointing her for a job well done and it felt very, very good. Tasted good as well, Carol thought distantly, so much for that being a one-off. 

Eventually the pace began to tell on all three of them and they collapsed into a heap, Kara snapping the restraints open as they did so. They wrapped Carol in their arms and eased her back to reality, though lying naked in a bed with such beautiful, passionate women was pretty far from Carol’s everyday reality. As she lay there she reflected, as best she could, on the evening and wondered how, exactly, she was going to stand going home…


	8. Chapter 8

"Morning!" Kara said brightly from the kitchen.

"Hey... that smells fantastic!" Carol said wondering if she should mention the Supergirl pyjamas that Kara was wearing. 

"Thanks. I can fly fast enough to stop the world turning and lift mountains but it's taken me almost twenty years here to figure out how to cook!"

"Ouch." Carol said with a chuckle, leaning against the kitchen island. "Still, nice to know there's something you can't do."

"Oh thanks." Kara grumbled. "You did want breakfast, right?"

"Very much so, yes please." Carol said with overdone contrition. "But I've got to ask.. stopping the world turning?"

"Oh, long story but we needed to freeze time."

"And that... worked?"

"Pretty much, yes."

Carol laughed and shook her head. "Well it had to happen sometime."

"Uh, what did, exactly?"

"I finally found someone who has better stories than me!"

Kara waved an embarrassed hand. "I'm sure you've got better than that."

"You'd be surprised." Carol said. "Though if I'd known some of them back in '95 I'm not sure I'd ever have left Earth."

There was a pause and Carol felt she should fill it. "I'm older than I look." She admitted but to her surprise Kara just shrugged. 

"Join the club. Technically I'm, oh, mid fifties I guess? You?"

"About the same I suppose. Damn we've aged well!"

"You're not kidding!" Kate shouted from the bedroom where she was enjoying both the luxury of having the bed to herself and the heady mix of scents from the two blondes that permeated the sheets.

Kara laughed then grew serious. "Carol... if you could go back and tell that version of you anything about the future... would you, well, change anything? Fix anything?"

Carol eyed the Kryptonian and gave her a sympathetic look. "Let me guess, mistakes weighing on your mind?"

"Yeah, more than I'd like." Kara admitted.

"Same here. But that's part of the price when you can do what we can and chose to put yourself in the firing line. Sometimes there's just no right answer."

"Does it ever get easier?"

"No. And it shouldn't." Carol said firmly. "If it does it means some other poor soul is having to make those choices. Or that you don’t care as much as you should do." She paused for a minute then added. "I think I'd just give her some advice."

"Huh?"

"What I'd tell my younger self?"

"Oh! Right, right, what advice?" Kara felt her journalism muscles kick in but Carol didn't seem to mind.

"Just that she's right."

"About what?"

"All of it. Everything she dreams of doing. Everything she was told she couldn't do. They're wrong. She's right."

"And would you warn her about anything?"

"No... no I don't think I would. We're the sum of our triumphs *and* our tragedies, right? I've lost a lot over the years. Battles. Wars. People who meant the world to me. Pieces of myself. But I've done a lot of good too and all those lives are not worth risking."

Carol paused and for a moment she seemed to be a very very long way away. "I'd just tell her that her wish comes true. She really does get to fly. And she'll fly higher and faster and further than she ever dreamed."

"You missed your calling Captain." Kate said quietly from behind Carol. "You should have been a writer. Maybe a poet."

Carol jumped, blushed and waved the compliment away but couldn't hide the happy smile as she shuffled to the couch in embarrassment. "How'd you get there without me noticing!"

"It's a gift." Kate said as she rummaged through a cupboard and busied herself with the kettle. "Also I get to practice sneaking up on someone who can hear the stars sing, you tend to get pretty good after a while."

"Apparently so." Carol agreed trying to force down the... what, she wondered. Not jealousy, there was something about these two that stopped any such green-eyed thoughts. They just fitted so perfectly together she couldn't imagine ever being such a good match for either of them. No, it was more of a general longing, an ache to have this for herself if only for a little while. She found her thoughts drifting to somewhere on a planet much like this one, to a newly-crowned warrior queen on a lonely throne and in that moment she knew where her first stop would be once she found her way home.

“So…” Kara said, handing over a plate laden with bacon, eggs, bacon, hash browns, bacon, fried bread and bacon to Carol while balancing her own on the other hand. “Talking of practicing skills, how’d we do last night?”

“Huh?”

“Higher. Further. Faster?” Kara asked with a teasing smile. 

“Highest, furthest, fastest.” Carol replied shooting for cool and missing by a couple of galaxies. 

“And that was just one night…” Kate teased, putting three steaming cups of coffee down on the low table and joining them on the couch, her own breakfast plate being slightly less sacrilegious.

“Don’t!” Carol warned, pointing her fork at the grinning brunette. “ Don't start with that! Not unless you want me to become a permanent resident here!”

“On this Earth?”

“In this apartment!”

All three of them laughed and Kate managed to control herself long enough to add. “Well as testimonials go I’d say that was pretty damn good!”

“You… really have to go?” Kara asked and Kate knew the sadness there was more than just loosing a great bed warmer. Carol might not be Kryptonian but she wasn’t far off keeping up with Kara and that made losing her all the harder.

“Yeah, it sucks but if I leave my universe alone too long someone will inevitably break it.” 

“Tell me about it!” Kara grumbled. “Last time I left Earth three witches resurrected an ancient Kryptonian deity.”

“Try coming back and finding half of all life in the universe had been snapped out of existence because two supposed heroes couldn’t maintain a professional working relationship.”

“Ouch. Uh… you fixed that, right?”

“Eventually. And at a price…” A shadow flashed across Carol’s face and once again Kate was struck by the thought that one Danvers was very like the other. “Which is why I need to get back honestly. We’ve got some good people watching the store but most of them are Earth-bound. Leaves me a lot of ground to cover.”

“Well I’m going to miss you.” Kara said and placed a free hand on Carol’s shoulder, not daring a hug for the risk it posed to her breakfast.

“Me too.” Kate added, matching the gesture.

“Honestly? Same here.” Carol replied with a grin. “Just don’t tell anyone from my reality, it’ll ruin my reputation.”

“Deal.” Kate said. “Of course if Brainy hasn’t figured out that Key you’re not going anywhere….”

“It was quite simple really.” Brainy said and was surprised at the look of badly-hidden disappointment on the three faces in front of him. “The Key records every destination it’s visited so all you have to do is think of your reality and it should take you there.”

“Do I have to click my heels together three times?” Carol asked, taking the glowing rectangle and eying it suspiciously.

“Ah, no, although it if makes you feel better…”

“It wouldn’t.”

“In that case definitely not.” Brainy said, knowing a bad situation when he was about to step into the middle of it. “Of course it’ll work the other way too.”

“Uh… say that again?”

“If you ever wish to return here I mean. Though you would likely need some sort of strong memory or other anchor to make the connection.”

“I… don’t think that will be a problem.” Carol reassured him trying to ignore the snicker from Batwoman. “This has, after all, been a pretty memorable trip.” 

This time the snickering was in stereo and she turned to find both Supergirl and Batwoman the picture of innocence. Carol sighed and shook her head. “Well I guess this is goodbye.”

“Yeah, but hopefully not forever.” Kara said, stepping forward and wrapping Carol in a hug. “You’ve always got a couch to crash on with us.” She whispered in Carol’s ear and enjoyed the virtually silent sigh of desire that escaped Carol’s lips.

“I think it’s fair to say Captain Marvel will always have a place here if she wants it.” Batwoman added, extending a hand as Kara let go of the blonde. Carol let a spark of energy pop through her fingers only to see it shimmer and dissipate on the bat suit. She looked up, surprised, and saw the briefest wink from Kate. Even now she wasn’t about to let Carol get one over on her.

“Thank you. And if you ever find yourself in my reality look me up.”

“We will.” Kara promised, stepping aside to clear a path for Carol to the balcony and the sky beyond.

“Good luck Captain.” Alex put in from where she’d been watching. She wasn’t entirely sure what had happened last night but knew both her sister and sister-in-law well enough to know something had changed. She’d find out later, let them have this moment to say goodbye. “Conditions are CAVU.”

Carol did a double take then grinned and threw Alex a salute. Turning she started to run then launched herself into the sky. As she cleared the rooftops of National City she felt the Key pulse in her hand, the sky parted before her and she burned like a shooting star across dimensions as she raced for home.

“Jump complete.” Brainy said from his console. “As far as I can tell she made it.”

“That’s good…” Kara said, turning to face her sister. “What was that you said to her?”

“CAVU.” Alex repeated. “Air Force acronym for Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited. Ideal flying conditions.”

Kara looked back up at the sky, her smile lighting up the world. “Somehow I get the feeling that as far as Captain Marvel is concerned any chance to fly means conditions are ideal…”


	9. Chapter 9

Alice sighed as the guard left the interview room, her restraints securely in place and the monitoring devices switched off. She was starting to get bored with Kara’s little visits, they were so unremittingly positive and upbeat, no fun at all. Not like Kate, no, her sister she could reach, her sister understood her. This new addition to the family was proving… difficult.

The door opened and a hooded figure stepped through. It moved towards her slowly, almost jerking instead of walking, as if the body beneath the loose clothing wasn’t working properly.

“Who are you?” Alice asked as she found herself instinctively drawing back. “You’re not Kara…”

“Very perceptive Alice.” The voice was smooth, confident but with a hint of something else, something dangerous.

“So who are you?” Alice asked again, knowing it was pointless calling for a guard. The whole conceit of this little setup was privacy after all. Fine when she was sitting across from the little goody-two-shoes in a cape, less so at this particular moment.

“I am… an admirer of you. Of your work.” There was something wrong with that voice, Alice decided. It was polite enough, cultured even, but somehow it felt like it should be hissing.

“Oh really? What in particular?” She was stalling for time now, mind racing. But there were no options, not really. Maybe she could keep him talking until Kara turned up or, if she wasn’t coming, the guards came back in.

“Your ability to cause terror in those around you.” He sat carefully, slowly, as if willing every movement, one after the other. 

“Well that is some of my better work.” She offered, trying to seem casual while her skin felt like it wanted to crawl off her body. 

“Would you like the chance to do so again?”

“From in here? Little difficult…” Alice sat back and tried to catch a glimpse beneath the hood but could only see blackness.

“No. Someone as gifted as you deserves to be free.”

“And you can arrange that can you? Just snap your fingers and I walk out of a maximum security prison?”

“Yes.” The word hung in the air and somehow Alice found herself afraid of it. 

“In return for…what? There’s always a price.”

“Correct. I need your help.”

“If you can get me out of here it’s hard to see how anything I can do is beyond you.”

“In this case you are uniquely placed to do what I need.”

“And that is? Come on, you keep dancing around the point and I’m ever so tired.”

There was a laugh from inside the hood and for a moment Alice saw two bright yellow points looking out at her.

“Do what you do best. Spread fear to Gotham. You have your adjuncts there, they can begin the work and when the time comes you can join them.”

“If you’re so powerful why not break me out now?” Alice asked, trying to act as if she didn’t already know what her answer would be.

“You have a role to play here. Perhaps a small one, perhaps much larger.”

“Perhaps? Really…? Your grand plan has a ‘perhaps’ in it?”

The figure chuckled and once more Alice felt like someone was dragging ice down her spine.

“Your role, my dear Alice, will depend on how deep Kara Zor-El’s terror truly runs.”


	10. Notes and References

Hope you all enjoyed that. Took forever to hammer into shape but an absolute blast to write. Carol is a little bit awkward thanks to us only having seen the current day MCU version for about two minutes and there’s only so much you can take from wrecking entire armies and no-selling headsets from the biggest bad in the cosmos. Mainly awesomeness but that doesn’t help with dialogue. Tried to blend the MCU version with some of the comic run, mainly from Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run on the book. For those that don’t know that era was the biggest influence on the 2019 movie and Kelly herself was on staff and even got a cameo (*very* red haired woman who sees Carol on the platform after the train fight). Fingers crossed I did her justice.

Now normally I prefer leaving nods and references scattered around without notes as easter eggs for those that have spent far too much time in comics and TV shows. Given that they kinda form a significant chunk of the plot some sort of guide seemed like a good idea!

Carol powering up the key uses images and dialogue taken directly from her comic series, specifically The Mighty Captain Marvel, issue 3.

Kate’s advanced Batsuit / armour is an upgraded version of the Batman Beyond suit given to her by Bruce Wayne back in the Apokolips arc of my Life After Crisis series.

Hopefully this is fairly clear anyway but this is the MCU Captain Marvel and in terms of timeline she’s not far removed from the events of Endgame.

Lucifer Morningstar comes from the Lucifer TV show (and recent guest spot on Crisis on Infinite Earths, yay!). We play a little fast and loose here with his powers as TV Lucifer is (understandably) rather nerfed compared to his comic counterpart but just assume there’s a whole season long arc behind his reality surviving Crisis!

During the glimpses at other realities montage we have a) Transformers, b) Legend of Korra, c) Lucifer (as an end point for the previous diversion), d) Dune, e) Doctor Who and f) Star Wars, specifically Ahsoka Tano fighting… well, that’d be a spoiler wouldn’t it? And yes, it was a struggle not to include Ahsoka in a much bigger role as she’s just the best but even I think that was going too far!

We arrive at Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series of books and a chat with DEATH himself. Yes, his horse really is called Binky in the books. If you’ve yet to discover this wonderful series I’d really recommend you do so, they’re fabulously entertaining.

The music realm… well, if anything’s ever going to get me committed this is likely to be exhibit A! The bulk of the imagery and music come from a band called Gloryhammer and, thankfully, all the songs used are on YouTube with their official music videos. In case you want the links:

GloryHammer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKlVYJTSzuU  
Hootsforce - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkUAzcja74Y (Note, video features actual space submarines!)

Kate finds a place in the song with the Battle Theme from Flash by the mighty Queen. Because who else is gonna be able to follow space submarines? Also it gives an excuse to drop Brian Blessed in which is always a plus! Sorry, ALWAYS A PLUS! There we go… Talking of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBe1hwg7V-M 

Carol’s one liner is, of course, more usually used by Ben Grimm / The Thing from the Fantastic Four. 

The red plasma sword Kate uses is a nod to the weapon from the recent Doom Eternal game.

We quickly jump back into another Gloryhammer song, this time The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJF7ymHLfxQ

Carol telling the universe exactly what she thinks of it trying to keep her down is a slightly more F-bomb heavy version of a similar scene from her own comic series. In fact it’s from the same book as the powering up sequence, The Mighty Captain Marvel, issue 3. 

Oh boy… okay, you’re not going to believe this but Kara singing The Show Must Go On by Queen is actually taken straight from DC comics! Specifically it comes from One Year Later where Pied Piper plays it on his flute to blow up Apokolips. Well, kinda, it’s comics so weirdness but still, actual canon! Also, let’s face it, if you’re gonna give Melissa a song, make it a good one…

Kara and Carol talking about changing things if they’d known what’s to come is a spin on a scene from Captain Marvel: Braver & Mightier (2019) issue 1. In the comic it’s between Carol and a couple of kid journalists but it seemed to fit so well here I couldn’t resist.

Just in case it’s not obvious Carol’s thoughts drift to New Asgard and Valkyrie. Seeing as how both Brie and Tessa are actively chasing getting that ship on screen it felt right…

CAVU is one last nod to Marvel comics and comes from the kid-focused Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Captain Marvel. In the book she mentions it to Ultron as she’s flying him into space before letting a massive energy overcharge out to blow him to hell. Somehow it just fits so while it’s a bit clunky I hope you don’t mind the indulgence.

And I *think* that’s all the big ones. Sure there’s gonna be some nods I’ve missed and references to the CW shows or, indeed, prior entries in both this series and Life After Crisis I’ve left out so this doesn’t end up longer than some stories! Any questions post ‘em as comments, always happy to talk about this stuff.


End file.
